Hitching and steering device.



L. B. MGALPINE. HITCHING AND STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24,1909.

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APPLICATION FILED APR.24,1909.

Patented N0v. 30, 1909.

2 MEETS-SHEET 2.

ms awi w tinrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEMUEL B. MCALPINE, OF MARATHON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CLIMAX ROAD MA-CHINE 00., OF MARATHON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HITCI-IING AND STEERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

30 it known that I, LEMUEL B. MCALPINE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Marathon, in the county ofCortland and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and usefulImprovements in Hitching and Steering Devices; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to hitchesforvehicles, and while designed especially for applying the draft toroad grading machines and the like, is not limited in its usefulness tosuch application.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with thefront wheels of a vehicle a draft pole applied and pivoted to the axleand with a segment carried rigidly with the axle adjacent the pole andmeans carried by the pole for controlling the relative position of thepole to -the segment.

With these and other objects in View the invention comprises certainnovel construcions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a view of the improved draft applied intop plan. Fig. 2 IS a view of the draft appliance in side elevation.

'lLike characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several news.

To the axle 10 of any desired vehicle supported upon the wheels 11 atongue or pole 12 is pivoted by being rigidly secured to a plate 13which extends back to the pivot or king bolt 14 at the middle of theaxle, so that the pole 12 may moveangularly about the king bolt 14 as acenter. Beneath the pole 12 a strut 15 is rigidly secured to the disk 15which in turn is rigidly secured to the axle extending forwardly andcarrying a segment 16 which is further braced by the braces '17 runningfrom the extremities of the segment 16 to the strut 15 and by braces 18running from the axle adjacentits ends to the strut 15. Pivotedvertically through the tongue or pole 12 is a shaft 19 carrying a pinion20 intergcared with the segment 16.

Atits upper end the shaft 19 carries a universal joint 21 'connectinsuch shaft with the steering shaft 22 Wh1ch extends in an inclinedposition toward and above the axle 12 and is provided with a steering orhand wheel 23.

The segment 16 is also provided at spaced .intervals with holes oropenings 24 and a spring pressed detent 25 extends downwardly throughthe pole 12 and plate 13 and into engagement with one of the holes oropenings 24. The detent 25 is raised out of engaging position by meansof foot or hand lever 26 pivoted to a link 27 which is in engagementwith the detent 25 and when the lever 26 is manipulated the detent 25 israised. When the detent 25 is raised to disengage it from the segment 16the steering wheel 23 is manipulated to turn in either directiondepending upon the exigencies of the case and when the desired angularposition of the tongue and the axle has been secured the foot lever 26is released and the detent' springs back into engagement with one of theopenings 24 to maintain the tongue in such angular position. Secured topole 12 and extending upwardly in rear of the steering shaft 22 is apair of sup ports 28 brought together at their top en s and secured uponeach side of a brace 29 positioned to form a bearing for the steeringrod 22.

It is well known that in various implements, as for instance, roadmachines, an angular adjustment of the pole relative to the front axleis necessary to maintain the implement on a side hill or in otherposition.

What I claim is A device of the class described, a wheeled axle, a strutextending forwardly from the axle, and disposed perpendicular to thecenter thereof, inclined braces running from the axle adjacent its endsto the strut adjacent its forward end, a segment carried rigidly by theforward end of the strut, and disposed in front of the wheels, inclinedbraces running from the opposite ends of the segment rearwardly andconnected rigidly with the strut, a pole pivoted centrally upon the axleand extending forwardly above the segment, a pinion vertically journaledin the pole and engaging the segment,

an inclined. steering rod extending above the the steering rod, and alink connecting the pole, a universal joint connecting the steerleverand detent. 10 ing rod and the vertical shaft of the pinion, Intestimonywhereof I afiix my signature a brace positioned as a bearing for thest'eerin presence of two Witnesses.

ing rod, :1 spring-pressed detent carried by LEMUEL B. MOALPINE. [11.s.]

the pole in position for engagement With l/Vitnesses:

and to lock the pole relative to the segment, WILLIAM GEORGE RYAN,

a lever pivoted-upon the brace which carries ARTHUR E. MAQALPINE.

